Fantasy Football
by phoebenpiper
Summary: Ryan's decided to go out for the football team, and Sharpay realizes why. This is based on an actual article I read on-line! :


**Fantasy Football -- **by phoebenpiper

"I've decided to go out for the football team."

Sharpay dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clatter, not even caring that she splashed alfredo sauce all over her new pink top. But how could she worry about clothes when her twin brother was obviously very ill? There was simply no other explanation for his sudden announcement.

Sharpay was so caught up in wondering what exactly could be wrong with Ryan that she barely heard Daddy saying, "Any time you want to practice tossing the old pigskin around, just let me know, son," and scarcely registered Ryan's blank response.

_'Maybe it's a concussion,'_ Sharpay thought. After all, she HAD hit him pretty hard with her shoe that morning. But he'd totally deserved it -- how dare he tell her that her outfit made her look hippy! However, she now wondered if she'd beaned him harder than she'd initally thought -- maybe she'd bruised his brain, which would explain why he was talking so crazy now.

"But Ducky," Mother was now saying, "won't football practice interfere with your play rehearsals? I thought you were helping Ms. Darbus direct the fall play."

Ryan shrugged. "We can figure something out once I make the team. And if worse comes to worse, Ms. Darbus can just direct it by herself."

Sharpay's jaw dropped -- this was far worse than she'd thought. Ryan give up the play?! And let down Ms. Darbus?! Sharpay realized this was no mere concussion!

She searched the faces of her parents, hoping to find some comfort, some explanation. But they were acting like everything was completely normal, like Ryan joining the football team was not some insane fantasy. In fact, Daddy just sat there grinning while Mother smiled and tenderly patted Ryan's hand.

Sharpay let out a gasp as she suddenly realized: they already knew! They weren't acting shocked or upset because they already KNEW something was terribly wrong with Ryan. And if they already knew and were merely putting on a brave face, then whatever was wrong with Ryan was serious -- perhaps even DEADLY serious!

Sharpay could feel the tears starting to well in her eyes, and she was finding it hard to breathe. _'How can this be happening to me?'_ her thoughts cried out in anguish. _'How can I go on if Ryan is dying?'_

"Kitten, honey?" Mommy asked, turning to Sharpay with a look of concern. "Are you okay?"

_'How can I be okay? Ryan's dying!'_ Sharpay thought to herself. All she wanted to do was sit on Daddy's lap and cry her eyes out in his comforting arms. But obviously her parents wanted her to go along with this charade, to pretend like everything was fine, and she was determined to do her best for them…and for Ryan.

Not trusting her own voice not to crack, Sharpay merely nodded her response to her mother's question.

Ryan, however, must've sensed his sister was upset for he turned to her, shaking his head. "Don't be like that, Shar. Don't freak out. It's not the end of the world, you know. I'm just going out for football -- I'm not dying or anything."

That was the final straw. Sharpay couldn't just sit and take it anymore, especially when it was obvious that Ryan didn't have a clue how sick he was.

"No! This can't happen!" She violently shoved her chair back from the table and fled the dining room.

Running blindly up the stairs, her tears started flowing freely as she tried to think, to come up with a plan. After all, they were the Evanses -- they could afford the best doctors in the country. ANY country! Surely they could save Ryan. They HAD to!

Stumbling into her bedroom, she resisted the urge to throw herself, crying, across her bed. Instead, she hurried over to her computer, jiggling the pink mouse to wake it up. As the desktop photo of herself slowly materialized on the monitor, Sharpay didn't even pause a moment to admire how cute she looked. Instead, she instantly clicked on Internet Explorer, hoping the 'net could help her figure out what was wrong so she could start fixing it…whatever "it" was.

As her homepage came up, she clicked on the search box, ready to type in…what? "Brain tumor"? "Crazy talk"? "Football"? Sharpay wasn't even sure where to begin.

As her mind raced, trying to come up with a plan, she gave a cursory glance at the day's headlines:

"Costar: 'Lindsey Lohan Doing Great'"

"Britney's High Price for Privacy"

"Ashton Kutcher's New Role: High School Football Coach"

Sharpay just stared at this last one, her head still spinning with grief.

Ashton Kutcher.

Football.

Ryan.

It was all starting to make sense.

And it wasn't the kind of sense Sharpay liked!

----

"Ow!"

Ryan raised his hand out of reflex, hoping to deflect yet another hit to his previously bruised head, but Sharpay had already moved on to a verbal attack:

"He's coaching in L.A., Ryan! L.A.! What on earth are you thinking?"

Ryan stared up at his sister, suddenly knowing how those deer must feel when they see headlights headed their way. He sat frozen in his chair, unable to speak and barely able to think. His only coherent thought was, _'I can't believe she figured it out so quickly!'_

Realizing Sharpay was waiting for an explanation, he tentatively began, "I thought…uh…." Deciding it might be best not to admit anything, he quickly finished, "…I mean…what are you talking about?"

Ryan's sluggish reflexes couldn't save him from yet another whack on the head.

"This is the stupidest thing you've ever done…well, ONE of the…well, in the top fifty, at least. I mean REALLY, Ryan! Even if you WERE to make the team -- and we all know you have a better chance of playing Porgy than football -- there's no way our school would EVER play Harvard-Westlake School because, did I happen to mention, IT'S IN L.A.?!?!"

Ryan didn't know what to say. And what was worse, he now knew she was right.

_'I guess I should've clicked on the link to see WHERE he's coaching before signing up for time in the school's weight room,'_ he realized.

However, he didn't have to explain himself to her because, for some reason, Shar was now yelling at their parents.

"And Daddy, YOU know sports," she charged bitterly, as if she was accusing him of being a Democrat. "You know perfectly well that Ryan would NEVER make the team. How could you pretend to go along with it?"

Dad looked uncomfortably down at the table. "Well…uh…Ryan's quick… and agile," he explained lamely. "And…wide receivers don't have to be brawny."

"Well, they do have to know how to catch a 'pigskin'…or at least know what one is!"

Sharpay shot her brother a look, and he, too, looked down at the table, embarrassed that she'd figured out his ignorance of the term.

She then turned towards Mom, pointing at her as she accused, "But this is all YOUR fault! If you hadn't been so 'supportive'…," Shar said the word in a nasal, mocking voice, "…I never would've thought…thought I was losing him." Sharpay's voice cracked, and she swallowed hard, as if she was fighting back tears.

"Huh?" Ryan stared at his sister in utter confusion, but she merely glared at him before stomping out of the room.

"Don't you want the rest of your dinner, Sweet Pea?" Mom called after her.

"I'm not hungry anymore!"

Ryan recognized that tone -- it meant that Sharpay would be seeing the bottom of an ice cream carton later that evening.

After she was gone, an uncomfortable silence descended upon the table. Ryan knew that his sister was right -- it was a stupid idea to join the East High football team just to meet Ashton. He probably would've had a better chance of meeting Ashton by going to the premiere of The Bunny House last month.

But worse than the feeling of stupidity was knowing that his dad would be disappointed that he wasn't joining the team. Ryan hated disappointing his dad, especially after falsely getting his hopes up.

Luckily, Ryan didn't have to say anything because Dad had already figured it out.

Clearing his throat to break the silence, Dad asked, "So…you're co-directing the fall play with Ms. Darbus, huh? Uh…what play are you doing?"

But before Ryan could answer, he suddenly was enveloped in a giant hug. He hadn't even heard Sharpay run back into the room, which made her fierce embrace even more surprising.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered in his ear, and Ryan was surprised to realize her cheeks were wet with tears. "Even if you ARE an idiot!" She then swatted him on the head again and hurried back out of the room.

Ryan smiled to himself as he reached up to rub his sore head. Although he loved his sister dearly, he knew he would never understand her. He also knew that, if she kept hitting him in the head, he might get a concussion one of these days, and then wouldn't she be sorry!

THE END


End file.
